Tree walk

(3 km)

This walk takes you past and through Purmerend's historic town centre with its many monuments, but through beautiful trees and greenery. Over 30 special and historical trees are included in this route.

Route
This route can be followed using the route markings of the walking network. The purple arrows can be found on lampposts, traffic posts or route markers and will guide you along the route. Along the way, there is a nameplate next to every tree with a QR code for further information. You can start this route at Purmerend railway station or at the TOP on the Beemsterburgwal.

Please note! Trees 33 to 36 are not on the route, but are well worth a quick look.

Useful information
The free leaflet with a map is available from the VVV Museum Shop or can be downloaded as a PDF document.

You are going to see this

  • Starting point:

    Purmerend railway station
    Stationsweg 1

    1441 EJ Purmerend
    Navigate to starting point
  • In front of the station, a double-flowered horse-chestnut tree flaunts itself in the circular flowerbed. Striking are the 'white candles' that adorn the tree in May and June.

    Double-flowered Horse Chestnut | Aesculus hippocastanum 'Baumannii' The flowers of the double-flowered horse chestnut
  • On Wilhelminalaan, you immediately pass one of the largest ash trees in Purmerend. This one is no less than 17 metres tall and has a lot of 'waterlot', a sign of age.

    Ash | Fraxinus excelsior The leaves of an ash tree
  • To the right of the former school building is a gigantic beech tree with a trunk circumference of no less than 3.5 metres.

    Beech | Fagus sylvatica The yellow leaves of the beech tree
  • At the beginning of the little park is a beautiful plane tree. Plane trees cope well with the urban climate and can easily grow 25 to 35 metres tall.

    Plane tree | Platanus x hispanica The flower of the plane tree
  • The older this tree gets, the more its bark resembles cork. Amur refers to the Amur River basin in Asia where it was discovered.

    Amur cork tree | Phellodendron amurense The leaves of the Amur cork tree
  • Surely there is a birch here, but without white bark.

    Black birch | Betula nigra The leaves of the black birch
  • The Dutch lime is a very old cross between the small-leaved lime and the summer lime. Here in front of you is quite a row.

    Dutch lime | Tilia x europaea A row of Dutch lime trees by the water
  • Who does not know the weeping willow? In the water, this weeping willow has been given its own little island. How nice is that!

    Weeping willow | Salix sepulcralis 'Chrysocoma' The weeping willow on its island in the moat
  • Along Emmakade, there is quite a row of these limes. The lime tree on the corner of the Juliana Square has a significance. It is a Juliana lime tree.

    Julianalinde | Tilia x europaea The leaves of the Juliana lime tree
  • The group of ash trees here is special. In fact, they have only a single-leaf leaf and used to be literally called 'Monophylla'.

    Single-leaved Ash | Fraxinus excelsior ‘Diversifolia’ Single-leaved Ash
  • The pedunculate oak is a tree native to the Netherlands. Oaks belong to the nap oak family. Beech and also birch belong to the same family.

    Pedunculate oak | Quercus robur The Pedunculate Oak shot from below
  • It is not entirely certain that the sycamore maple is native to the Netherlands. Some say it is, others believe the tree has only been known in the Netherlands since the late Middle Ages.

    Mountain maple | Acer pseudoplantanus 'Atropurpurea' Mountain Maple
  • Is it a tree or a shrub? This particular yew has an upright form (Fastigiata) and the young leaves have a yellow edge (Aureomarginata). Truly a peculiarity, therefore, we don't know when it was discovered.

    Irish yew | Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Aureomarginata' The Irish yew in the park
  • Unfortunately, the Hungarian oak planted here, in honour of Purmerend's 50,000th resident, did not survive a major renovation of the square. But this younger specimen is just as beautiful.

    Hungarian oak | Quercus frainetto Hungarian Oak
  • The yellow flowers of this tree are succeeded in autumn by typical 'bloated' fruits that resemble lanterns.

    Chinese Varnish Tree | Koelreuteria paniculata The leaves of a Chinese lacquer tree
  • Don't be fooled: This is not an oak tree, but a beech tree!

    Oak-leaved Beech | Fagus sylvatica 'Quercifolia' The leaves of an oak-leaved beech
  • These two young bee trees will form a beautiful green gateway in a few years. They bloom late, in July and August, producing beautiful panicles of white flowers.

    Bee trees | Tetradium daniellii A bee in a ‘Bijenboom’
  • This native species is found in large parts of western and central Europe. A moderately nutrient-rich and moderately moist soil is preferred. A sunny spot is much appreciated. The field maple is related to the sycamore maples.

    Field maple | Acer campestre The Field Maple in the old churchyard
  • This holly is more than 100 years old and has as many as three trunks. In winter, it is full of red berries.

    Holly | Ilex aquifolium The Holly in the old churchyard in Purmerend
  • This tree stands where it belongs, in somewhat marshy ground.

    Black Tupelo | Nyssa sylvatica ‘Autumn Cascades’ The brightly coloured leaf of a Black Tupelo tree
  • This broad tree with thick trunks is very old.

    Box elder | Acer negundo The Purmerend feather maple
  • These seven, very rare elms are named after Christine Buisman, who conducted pioneering research on elm disease. There are three varieties. Can you tell the difference?

    Christine Buisman Elm | Ulmus minor ‘Christine Buisman’ A row with Christine Buisman Elm
  • The Robinia can be found right behind the Robiniastate and blooms no less than from May to July.

    Robinia | Robinia pseudoacacia The leaf of a Robinia
  • Following the bridge are two groups of Japanese walnut trees: Ginkgo trees. These trees existed in prehistoric times and even survived the dinosaurs!

    Japanese walnut tree | Ginkgo biloba Young Japanese Walnut trees on the other side of a long bridge
  • Beech is native to the Netherlands and red beech occasionally appears in seedlings at nurseries. Around 1770, the cultivated variety was selected. Somewhere in central Europe, the tree was noticed.

    Brown Beech | Fagus sylvatica 'Atropunicea' The red leaves of brown beech
  • The foliage of this sycamore has a greyish underside, creating fun colour effects in the wind.

    Grey Abeel | Populus × canescens The leaves of a grey poplar
  • This Japanese cherry is considered one of the most beautiful flowering cherries. The tree comes from Japan, but the origin of this hybrid is unclear. It is thought to have originated around 1730.

    Japanese cherry | Prunus x yedoensis The blossoms of a Japanese cherry tree
  • The leaves of this group of Katsura trees turn beautiful yellow-orange in autumn.

    Katsura tree | Cercidiphyllum japonicum A group with Katsura trees
  • This king lime tree was planted on 26 April 2013 to mark the coronation of King Willem Alexander by Mayor Don Bijl, Alderman Roald Helm and five Purmeren residents who received a royal honour on this day.

    King lime | Tilia x europaea 'pallida' A ‘Koningslinde’ for P3 in Purmerend
  • To the left of the building stands a monumental wingnut tree.

    Wingnut | Pterocarya fraxinifolia The Wingnut next to the school building
  • To the left on the hill, you can see an anything but ordinary hornbeam. It can live up to 200 years, and don't prune it into shape? Then it can grow up to 10 metres wide.

    Hornbeam | Carpinus betulus The hornbeam in Purmerend
  • The last tree on the route is the Crimean lime tree. In bloom, this tree seems to be buzzing. Its late flowering and strongly scented flowers that are chock-full of nectar make it a true insect magnet.

    Krimlinde | Tilia x europaea ‘Euchlora’ Crimson lime
  • In front of the church in Purmerend stands a false Christ’s thorn, a tree that blooms discreetly in June. Its small flowers are barely noticeable, but are rich in nectar.

    False Christ thorn | Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Skyline’ The leaves of the false Christ’s thorn tree
  • The European hop-bush owes its name to its hop-like fruits.

    European hop-beech | Ostrya carpinifolia The flower of the European hop-beech
  • In Purmerend, they are known as ‘sit-down plane trees’ or ‘love trees’.

    Plane tree | Platanus x hispanica A plane tree in Willem Eggerstraat in Purmerend
  • The ‘connection tree’ is a special imperial lime tree that symbolises the merger between the municipalities of Purmerend and Beemster.

    Emperor lime | Tilia x europaea ‘Pallida’ The tree: the Keizerlinde
  • End point:

    Purmerend railway station
    Stationsweg 1

    1441 EJ Purmerend
    Navigate to end point